Generally, process belts are used in the preparation of pulp or materials in sheet or non-woven fabric, such as paper, in the Paper Making Industry. Such process belts are typically woven wire fabric formed into continuous or endless belts by brazing or welding. For example, end sections of such process belts are generally brazed or welded together to form a brazed or welded seam between the end sections of the process belt, thereby introducing a local stiffness at the seam.
However, brazing or welding typically degrades the strength and malleability of the wires adjacent the brazed or welded seam due to elevated temperatures. The degradation can result in premature failure of such process belts at or near the brazed or welded seam, which results in the process belt being removed, repaired and reinstalled or replaced with a new process belt.